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Enterococcus (MPN/100 ml):
E. Coli (MPN/100 ml):
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Planning a Water Testing Program
BWTF Manual (includes methods description)
Sample Site Sheet & MPN Table for the Quantitray Sealer
How-to videos posted by IDEXX for using the Quantitray Method with Enterolert or Colilert
What's in the Water? 1-page handout
Video featuring Santa Monica High School students describing their testing program and their local pollution issues. Illustrates sample collection and reading lab results.
Video Surfrider Foundation Europe Ocean Report: Water Quality & Health, this 11 min video provides a good overview of beach pollution issues, health impacts of pollution & how beaches are monitored and managed in Europe. Most issues are very relevant to US too. Good educational video to show BWTF volunteers or students.
Reducing Plastic Waste: Using an Autoclave & Glassware in the Lab
Source Tracking Guides for Bacterial Pollution
For more, see our Blue Water Task Force page on Beachapedia.
May 31 2013
Students teaching students in Santa Monica
The Heal the Bay Surfrider Club at Santa Monica High School just conducted a mentorship program introducing over 40 middle school students and their teachers to water testing methodology and local water pollution issues.
May 31 2013
Dirty Water in Rincón, Puerto Rico
The latest batch of water samples tested by the Rincón Chapter showed high levels of bacteria present at local beaches. Here's their BWTF Coordinator's explanation of water quality problems in their corner of Puerto Rico, as sent out with their weekly water quality report.
May 20 2013
The 2012 BWTF Annual Report
The Surfrider chapters, volunteers, teachers & students that make up the Blue Water Task Force supported by Emergen-C Blue®, undertook a massive water monitoring effort at their local beaches during 2012.
May 20 2013
The Story of Bacterial Problems at Larrabee State Park
Blue Water Task Force Partnerships Solutions Source Identification Water Quality
Read about the long and complicated path the Northwest Straits Chapter has followed to discover, investigate and help solve water pollution problems at Larrabee State Park in Bellingham, Washington. Written in the Chapter Chair, Eleanor Hines, own words.
April 12 2013
No $ for Beach Programs in 2014 Federal Budget
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality
The President's budget for FY2014 once again fails to include any funding to support beach water testing programs. It is disappointing that the Administration continues to be penny-wise and pound-foolish, ignoring the huge public health costs and potential risk to coastal tourism economies that these cuts will bring.
April 09 2013
Kaua’i BWTF hits education record
Involving local high school and college students in relevant, water pollution, scientific studies is a big part of the Kaua'i Chapter's BWTF program. This past year they mentored a record number of students. Keep reading to see the impressive areas of study they tackled.
April 08 2013
California’s Landmark Law Under Attack
Beach Access Blue Water Task Force Coastal Preservation Know Your H20 Ocean Ecosystems Water Quality
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is one of California’s most important laws—not only because it helps protect our environment and “quality of life”, but CEQA also promotes democratic participation in the decision-making process—giving citizens a say in what happens in their local communities. Unfortunately over the past few years, developers and polluting industries have been attempting to weaken CEQA through legislation. If special interests succeed in weakening CEQA, California’s natural resources could suffer from unchecked development, and the public will lose its ability to require developers to address environmental impacts.
April 08 2013
South Bay Teach and Test
The South Bay Chapter and their Teach and Test program sponsor, the West Basin Municipal Water District, recieved some nice press for their partnership recently.
March 04 2013
Want to Find Sewer Spills and Leaks? Ask a Dog
Blue Water Task Force Source Identification Water Quality
A frequent problem in coastal watersheds is detection of high bacteria counts at beaches. Tracking the sources of the bacteria back up rivers, creeks and storm drains is difficult, time consuming and costly. But there may be a better way - using a trained, sewage-sniffing dog. We wrote about the success of Sable and other dogs trained by Scott Reynolds of Environmental Canine Services in Michigan in 2009. Sable's exploits have led to a group of dogs from Sonoma and Marin Counties in northern California being trained by Scott to identify the presence of raw sewage in creeks and other natural waterways and in storm drains.
March 01 2013
Pollution Source Tracking Guide
Blue Water Task Force Source Identification Water Quality
The City of Santa Barbara and UCSB have developed 2 new resources to help track the sources of water pollution in coastal watersheds.
February 26 2013
Community Presentation of BWTF Data in Kaua’i
The Kaua'i Chapter continues its good efforts to educate the public about their water testing program and local water quality problems at the Hale Halawai Community Center.
December 11 2012
The Toilet Bowl Effect: Gurgles and Flushes from Pico-Kenter Storm Drain
Blue Water Task Force Youth Rise Above Plastics Water Quality
Students at Santa Monica High School measured high bacteria levels and picked up more than 75 lbs of trash flushed through the Pico-Kenter storm drain by rain events in November. Read the press release they sent out documenting this pollution.
December 10 2012
BWTF data detects sewer overflows at beaches in Newport, Oregon
Blue Water Task Force Partnerships Source Identification Water Quality
Very high bacteria levels detected by the Newport Chapter's BWTF water testing program indicated an ongoing problem with sewer overflows in the area during wet weather. The beaches were posted in the short-term, but the Chapter has been working with the city for nearly 10 years now to address multiple water pollution issues that affect their beaches.
December 02 2012
EPA updates recreational water quality criteria
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality Illness
The EPA has released its 2012 water quality criteria recommendations for protecting human health in all coastal and non-coastal recreational waters.
October 19 2012
BWTF session at West Coast Summit
Leaders from more than a dozen chapters met during Surfrider's West Coast Summit in Ventura, California to learn more about each others' water testing programs and discuss common challenges and best practices.
October 12 2012
Funding News for Beach Water Testing Programs
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality
While Congress has yet to pass a federal budget for next year, they did manage to agree on a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government in operation until March 31, 2013. This CR includes level funding to keep the EPA BEACH Grants program in operation.
August 24 2012
The (r)evolution of the Blue Water Task Force
At the inception of the Blue Water Task Force, Surfrider Chapters were often the only source of water quality information in many localities. As state monitoring programs became more robust, the BWTF began pursuing other goals such as education and pollution identification. With federal funding for beach monitoring programs on the cutting board, the program may just be forced to circle back to its roots.
August 07 2012
Sick at the Beach: The Ocean Illness Reporting Tool
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality Illness
Have you ever gotten sick after visiting the beach? Now there’s a place to share your story and see where others are getting sick.
July 17 2012
Beach Water Testing Program in Hawaii Struggling
Blue Water Task Force Water Quality
Hawaii's beach water testing program is already struggling to meet beach water testing requirements set by the BEACH Act. Impending federal budget cuts could devastate this program in a state whose economy is largely fueled by beach tourism.
July 16 2012
Kaua’i Blue Water Task Force
Blue Water Task Force Partnerships Solutions Source Identification Youth
The Kaua'i Chapter's Blue Water Task Force water testing program is providing valuable water quality information for surf sites around the island. They are investigating the local sources of water pollution and are trying to instill an ethic of coastal stewardship into the students they are reaching.